West Brom sack head coach Clarke

West Brom have announced that head coach Steve Clarke has been "relieved of his duties and placed on gardening leave."

The decision comes just hours after Saturday's 1-0 loss at Cardiff City that extended the side's run without a Premier League win to six matches.

West Brom are 16th in the table, two points above the relegation zone, and in a statement on their official website the club cited a poor return from 2013 under the Clarke as the reason for his dismissal.

The statement read: "This was the unanimous decision of the football club's board of directors following a disappointing performance throughout 2013.

"Albion have won only seven of their 34 Premier League games during the calendar year - a 20% win percentage yielding a total of only 31 points - despite a substantial investment in the first-team squad.

"Joint-assistant head coach Keith Downing will assume control of first-team affairs whilst the club considers all available options for a new head coach."